Just a year ago, world No. 5 Ben Shelton joined WME (William Morris Endeavor) from Team8 in a blockbuster move that sent waves across the sport. With current tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, and Coco Gauff already on its roster, the decision looked like a perfect fit. But the off-court story has now taken a twist before SW19, as he joins Starwing Sports, with Maria Sakkari stepping up to defend the agency. 

“One year after signing with WME, Ben Shelton has made the shock decision to exit for the boutique management firm Starwing Sports,” journalist Jessica Schiffer shared the news on X. “Jannik Sinner parted ways with them in 2025 after five years. Starwing has become somewhat notorious for overpaying clients upfront but not always delivering beyond that. I guess time will tell.”

However, since the criticism came out, Maria Sakkari, who has been with StarWing Sports for more than a decade, did not agree with that assessment. 

“That’s a pretty baseless claim. Starwing helped build one of the strongest brands in tennis with Jannik Sinner. I’ve been with them for over 10 years, and they absolutely deliver,” Sakkari commented.

Schiffer, however, stood by her assessment as she replied that she had heard directly from players who later regretted signing with the firm. “I’ve heard firsthand stories of players regretting signing with them so it isn’t baseless. But there are of course exceptions and I’m happy to hear you’ve had a good experience,” Schiffer responded in the comments.

Meanwhile, the American top seed has officially moved to the boutique management agency StarWing Sports from WME. The 23-year-old will now be represented by the company’s CEO and founder, Lawrence Frankopan.

Frankopan is also well known for managing the Italian top seed Jannik Sinner for over five years. However, the 24-year-old eventually left StarWing and joined AVIMA Sports & Business Management in 2025.

Now the current Stuttgart Open winner begins a new chapter under Frankopan’s guidance. Following the public announcement of the move, the American ace also shared his own thoughts on the decision.

Ben Shelton shares his thoughts after joining StarWing Sports

With the move, Ben Shelton will now be represented by the new company alongside stars such as Maria Sakkari, Karen Khachanov, Stan Wawrinka, and Gaël Monfils, and the WTA icon Chris Evert. The change marks an important step in the American’s growing career.

“I’m excited to join StarWing Sports at such an important stage of my career,” Shelton added. “Their experience managing multiple Grand Slam champions and guiding players to world No. 1 speaks for itself, but what really stood out was their unique vision for helping athletes maximise their potential both on and off the court. I can’t wait to start this next chapter together.”

Over the last few seasons on the ATP Tour, Ben Shelton has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting talents in men’s tennis. And StarWing Sports was equally delighted to welcome a player of Shelton’s quality. 

“Ben is a unique talent with the potential to shape the future of men’s tennis,” CEO Lawrence Frankopan said. “His game, mindset and ambition set him apart, and we are thrilled to be part of his journey as he pursues major championships, establishes himself at the very top of the sport, and realises his ability to transcend the commercial space of tennis and become a global sporting and cultural figure,”

And on the court, after the QF loss at the Terra Wortmann Open, Ben now heads towards The Championships for the third Slam of the year. As he was eliminated from the Wimbledon QF last year, Shelton will be hoping for another strong run at SW19 this time as well.